The story of my unexpected fostering of a litter of four neonatal kittens.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Adoption

(the kitten mama and Napoleon)

This weekend will mark the kittens' eighth week in this world! Time has just flown by. They are getting stronger, bigger, and more mischievous every day and although this experience has been tough at times it is so rewarding to see them thriving.

They are expected to be about 2 lbs at 10 weeks old. Assuming they hit that goal, they will be taken to the vet to be spayed/neutered (all done at low cost courtesy of Carol's Ferals), checked for feline leukemia, etc. Assuming all of THAT goes well, they will be ready for adoption the week after that (first week in October)

ADOPTION! Can you believe it?

I can't!

I'm equal parts thrilled/excited and sad about it. Don't get me wrong - I'm so happy to have these little guys and gal go off to new homes and human families where they can live long and happy lives and much loved pets. At the same time though, I will be sad to say goodbye.

This is why I couldn't be a kitten foster-mom on a regular basis - I would get far too attached! I'm glad that this opportunity came into my life - it taught me a lot and in a way it saved me when I was going through some tough times myself. I can't say I'll never do it again - but I sure couldn't do this all the time. My heart and thanks go out to those of you that DO do this all the time!

I know for sure that my parents are taking a kitten, so that's one taken care of. Travis and I are still deciding if we are keeping one or not. On one hand, I can't imagine NOT keeping one. But on the other hand - we have two cats and a dog already. Our dog is still a puppy, high energy, and in much need of returning to obedience school, and our cats are a little older and stuck in their ways. If we DID keep a kitten - we'd want to be 100% sure that all of our animals could adapt to each other so that we can all live together harmoniously.

Beyond my parents and I, there have been several of you who have expressed interest in adopting one of the kittens along the way. I guess (sob!) it's time for me to see who is still interested, and gather some information from you.

While I am not SELLING the kittens, I am going to ask that adopting families make a donation to Carol's Ferals. A minimum donation would be $25 for boy kittens and $40 for girls - this would cover their spay/neuter. Of course, if you want to give more I would be honored. It is such a great cause. Find out more by hopping over HERE. Making a financial donation shows your commitment to this new addition to your home - after all, they are going to be with you for a long time! : )

If you're interested, drop me an e-mail at joanneroehm@yahoo.com and we'll chat some more about the details. If you're interested in a boy/girl specifically or if there's a certain someone who's caught your eye do let me know.

How wonderful for these friends to go to new homes! I hope that their adoptive families will keep me updated so that I can post a few follow ups to this blog once they leave me for good.

And lastly, speaking of adoption, if you're in the Grand Rapids area I'd love to see you at THIS EVENT. Carol's Ferals is having a HUGE adoption event and it's going to be fun for the entire family! So please, support Carol's Ferals and come meet some of the sweet kitties up for adoption!

Thanks for stopping by and checking in with the kittens! : ) Video update coming soon!